Middle East

Libyan parliament leader lashes out at UN envoy

Associated Press
Published | Updated

FILE -- In this Sept. 30, 2015 file photo, Agila Saleh, then acting head of Libya, speaks during the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters. Saleh, the head of Libya’s internationally-recognized parliament based in the country’s far east has criticized Martin Kobler, the U.N. envoy for the North African country, accusing the international community of imposing a unity government that contradicts a U.N.-brokered agreement reached by Libya’s rival parties last December. Saleh told Libya 218 television Tuesday, April 12, 2016, that envoy Kobler is acting as Libya’s “ruler” and paving the way for the unity government to seize power in the capital before parliament votes on it. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File) (The Associated Press)

FILE -- In this Feb. 17, 2016 file photo, UN special envoy for Libya Martin Kobler, listens during an interview with The Associated Press, in Cairo, Egypt. Agila Saleh, the head of Libya’s internationally-recognized parliament based in the country’s far east has criticized Kobler, accusing the international community of imposing a unity government that contradicts a U.N.-brokered agreement reached by Libya’s rival parties last December. Saleh told Libya 218 television Tuesday, April 12, 2016, that Kobler is acting as Libya’s “ruler” and paving the way for the unity government to seize power in the capital before parliament votes on it. (AP Photo/Ahmed Hatem, File) (The Associated Press)

The head of Libya's internationally-recognized parliament has criticized the U.N. envoy, accusing the international community of imposing a unity government that contradicts a U.N.-brokered agreement.

Agila Saleh told Libya 218 television on Tuesday that U.N. envoy Martin Kobler is acting as the country's "ruler" and paving the way for a new unity government to seize power in the capital before parliament votes on it.

The parliament is expected to vote on the unity government on April 18.

Western nations hope the U.N.-backed government led by Fayez Serraj, a little-known technocrat, can unite the country and combat an increasingly powerful Islamic State affiliate.